First Things First?

In the week before the Worlds, I was told of the devastating loss of a friend of mine. A person that had been responsible for getting me into bike racing. A guy that had taught me the very basics of the sport and got me started in my first races, encouraging me and showing me the way from the most humble of beginnings.

I met Bevan Jones when I was 13 yrs of age. I was involved in triathlon at Waihi Collage and had heard about what was called a ?Time Trial? race on Tuesday night out at the old cheese factory. A race against the clock just like we did in triathlon. Perfect to improve my cycling for the triathlon. The discipline that I enjoyed the most. So off I headed on my 18 speed, triple chain ring tourist bike to see what it was all about.

Not knowing anybody or anything, I was pleasantly surprised with Bevan?s openness and encouragement. After a few weeks, he began to help me along offering advice and inviting me to go on weekend training rides with him. During these rides he began to teach me the basics of group riding as well as the general ?in's? and ?out's? of racing and training. One of the most notable quotes I remember from him was when he began to talk about the value of spinning a good cadence. If you have a 100kg bag of flour and you try to lift it you can?t. But if you divide it up into 1kg lots you can shift it much more efficiently.

Bevan?s love for cycling, his encouragement and enthusiasm got me not only more involved in local Waihi racing but also spearheaded me off to club races in Hamilton, then in the Waikato region and not long after on to the Nationals.

When I look at it like this, I owe a lot to Bevan. A lot that I have done and a lot that I have in my life today comes from cycling. It has given Carole and I, and now Tanner, some difficult moments but also many special moments. Times and experiences in our lives that we would never have had if I hadn?t have gotten involved with a sport Bevan was so passionate about.

I could go on for a long time about all the things Bevan did for me during those early years of my cycling but I think the thing that I respected most about him were many of the values that he stood for. And now as I enter the last years of my career I think also about him and some of the values that he shared with me through our time together. Although he loved cycling he was always adament that it wasn?t the be all and end all. As he would say, ?its just a bloody bike race.?

I received a letter from him at the start of the year that really reflected the sort of person that he was. It was during the period when Carole was pregnant with Tanner. It talked about how for him having a family was the greatest and most important experience in life and that it lives on longer than anything else. He went on to say how much he enjoyed being with his family and how he was looking forward to returning to Africa with his son for 4 month safari.

He said we were about to enter into the same incredible experience ourselves and he wished us both as many happy times as he had with his family.

To Elaine and family, our thoughts are with you. Bevan was a great character that really made a difference to our lives and for this we thank him and you also, Elaine for the time you gave us. To Bevan, I hope that where ever you are, there?s plenty of home brew and home grown beans with butter and salt - just as you like it.

Julian